Hello guys i have 2 baby leopard totoise and ive been misting them once a day... but then realized that they come from a dry habitat... do they still need the misting?
Should i Soak/mist my Leo?
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There's no real reason why you shouldn't, as long has they have the ability to stay warm. Cool and moist can cause issues. Make sure your temperatures are at the proper points.
This is for Sulcatas (and I think there's a leopard one around) but the information is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1P1qkN5zP
This is for Sulcatas (and I think there's a leopard one around) but the information is the same.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies#axzz1P1qkN5zP
The one October linked above is the way I raise leopards. The wild adults walk around above ground out in the hot dry air. No one really knows what the babies do, but they do not just walk around out in the open above ground. They'd get eaten if they did, and somebody would have seen them sometime or other.
You see there is all sorts of speculation about what they do in the wild and what the conditions are in the wild. Sometimes this information is useful and helpful, sometimes not. There are literally millions of variable micro-climates within the enormous range of the leopard tortoise. On the other hand, we know what does NOT work in captivity (dry and dehydrated) and we know what DOES work in captivity (warm, humid and well hydrated). We are, and always will be, fine tuning what we have already learned so far.
You see there is all sorts of speculation about what they do in the wild and what the conditions are in the wild. Sometimes this information is useful and helpful, sometimes not. There are literally millions of variable micro-climates within the enormous range of the leopard tortoise. On the other hand, we know what does NOT work in captivity (dry and dehydrated) and we know what DOES work in captivity (warm, humid and well hydrated). We are, and always will be, fine tuning what we have already learned so far.
From what i have read on this forum and from Tom's threads I feel that it is a good idea to mist them and to give them soaks. just use warm water not hot water and don't let the water get cold. I place my leo in his soak half under his heat lamp and place a aquarium thermometer in the water.
and yes,,you should soak them too. they can dehydrate fast.. really cant over do.. the fluids.. warm and moist.. not cold and wet..
Great, thanks for the info Specially the humidity level of 80% which i had at around 60%.
btwi m using peatmoss as substrate now... but it seems kind of messy being all wet, any advice on this?
btwi m using peatmoss as substrate now... but it seems kind of messy being all wet, any advice on this?
They Can Get Dehydrated OverNight, Give Them Warm Soaks Every night!
Try Sprayaing There Shell and Enclosure With Water Several Times Daily
Try Sprayaing There Shell and Enclosure With Water Several Times Daily
viperdrake, I would worry more about hydration than humidiy. Geochelone pardalis is the largest ranging sub-sahara tortoise in Africa. Despite what some may specultate here on this forum, if you do a search on youtube you will find vids of poeple finding and catching Hatchling leopard tortoises on safari in Africa. People do see them and have noted such in studys as well, but if your the type that doesnt really care about what field observers write or say then you might just assume that nothing has been written and people dont see them because your not looking. Like I said, I would make sure that my tortoise had access to water and if its a hatchling, got a good soak once a day. Your humidity around 60% is fine as long as your not "cooking" them with your basking lamp. If your cooking your tortoise with a basking spot nearing 100 then you will need higher humidity. Keep this in mind... extreme basking heat calls for extreme humidity. Moderate basking heat calls for moderate humidiy. Good luck
viperdrake said:
I agree with Onarock, in that hydration is more important than misting. I don't mist my leopard tortoises and I'm in the hot desert. I don't think misting in and of itself would cause any problems at all unless your temperatures are cold, but it sounds like from your other thread that your temperatures are warm. I personally think you're going to be better off soaking them more rather than misting them.
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